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Multi-year deals, salaries revealed for UGA football assistants

Sam Pittman, Georgia's newly announced offensive line coach for next season, watches a Georgia football practice ahead of the TaxSlayer Bowl game against Penn State, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Multi-year deals for Georgia football assistant coaches will go beyond just coordinators under new head coach Kirby Smart.

Offensive line coach Sam Pittman has signed an agreement for three years, new wide receivers coach James Coley for two and position coaches Tracy Rocker and Kevin Sherrer now will work under two-year deals, according to memorandum of understandings obtained in an open records request by the Athens Banner-Herald and OnlineAthens.com.

Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney also will be under contract for three years and he will make $850,000. He gets a one-time payment of $85,119 which presumably covers a buyout from Pittsburgh, where he was offensive coordinator last season. As a semi-public school, Pittsburgh’s contracts are not available to the media.

Pittman will be paid $650,000 a year, a $125,000 increase over what he made at Arkansas. He receives a one-time payout of $250,000, which is the amount of his buyout to Arkansas.

Pittman’s new salary would have ranked tied for 34th nationally for assistant coaches last season, according to USA Today. UCLA offensive line coach Adrian Klemm was the only offensive linemen paid that much at $760,000 last season.

Rocker’s salary will be $525,000 and Sherrer’s salary will be $375,000. That’s a $25,000 increase from last season when Rocker was defensive line coach and Sherrer was outside linebackers coach.

Coley will get $450,000 annually and be eligible for a $150,000 retention bonus on March 31, 2017.

Only defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt ($1.3 million per year) and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer ($957,200) had multi-year contracts on the previous staff. Both worked under three year deals.

New special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Shane Beamer and running backs coach Dell McGee are listed as making $275,000 annually on personnel reports, but that could be a preliminary figure. No contract length is indicated for either. Defensive assistant Glenn Schumann’s personnel report lists him making $225,000 annually.

New support staff member Marshall Malchow will make $180,000 as a recruiting coordinator.

Chaney and Pittman have the same buyout terms.

Each would owe Georgia 20 percent of his remaining income on the contract should he resign unless it is for a head coaching job in Division I or the NFL. Each would be owed the compensation remaining on the contract if he is fired.

Chaney’s contract calls for him to make no less than eight unpaid appearances at Bulldog Club and other fundraiser events. Pittman's contract calls for him to make six such appearances.

Coley, Rocker and Sherrer have the same buyout terms.

They would owe 30 percent of remaining income on the contract for resigning and would be owed remaining compensation if fired by Georgia.

mpd0.59

More than 1 year ago

@Roxanne: You're confusing legality with morality. I'm not debating what can be written into a legal contract. I'm debating why something would be written into a legal contract. Imagine a couch being fired for moral turpitude yet still receiving his full compensation.

Roxanne

More than 1 year ago

They are football coaches under a written contract, not employees. You strictly go by what the contract says. Few employees have a written contract.

mpd0.59

More than 1 year ago

"Each [assistant coach] would be owed the compensation remaining on the contract if he is fired."

Wow. Most employees only get unpaid compensation up to the point of their termination.